Gift Scrap Blog

My good friend, Ali D from Boston, scored a free room at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods in Connecticut.

I love gambling. I love free things.  I LOVE free rooms at casinos.  How could I say no to this offer? Oh, yeah, and I was excited to see Ali too.

With my Dream rewards card in hand, I arrived at the MGM and Ali and I did the usual “good to see you” greeting and immediately went down to the casino.  Enough small talk.

Ali gravitates towards the craps table.  I, on the other hand, enjoy a good hand of poker and a few (thousand) pulls on the slot machine.  But, I love trying new things so I was game to take a shot at craps.

We walked up to the table and I was immediately intimated.  The cigar smoke and men who were blowing their kids’ college tuition all lined the table as Ali and I took our spot.  The wad of cash came out of Ali’s pocket and he cashed it in for chips.  I decided to lay low for a bit and observe.  But after a few minutes, I had to get into the action.

Let the games begin.

So you know in movie’s there is always that girl on the craps table that blows on the dice and then the person throwing the die gets a great roll? You know, then the crowd starts cheering.  Yep, that was me.  Except, I was the unstoppable roller in this scenario.  People were cheering, “Go Roller, Go Roller” and I felt like the popular kid in high school. In this case, ignorance was bliss, because despite how hard Ali tried to teach me what each combination of the die meant, I just didn’t get it.  So I decided not to think, just throw.

Being the friendly and fun people we are, Ali D and I of course started talking to the people around us…

Kathy. Oh Kathy.  She was probably only 30 years old but she looked 45 because she had been smoking Marlboro Reds since birth. She was from Boston, and once she found out Ali was from her city as well – the sparks starting flying, well at least in her head.  She first decided it would be great idea to set her younger sister and Ali up when they got home.  At first Ali was a little skeptical but then Kathy mentioned her sister had “Boston Red Sox and Patriots Season Tickets” and then of course Ali was in.  The business card came out of his pocket and basically threw it at Kathy.  Little did he know that soon enough, Kathy would forget about her sister completely in a few hours and want Ali for herself.  How far does a guy go for season tickets? Maybe I’ll let Ali comment and let you all know…

Pete.  We loved Pete.  Not only was Pete a tree cutter, he was the nicest guy ever.  If he wasn’t 65 years old, he would have been mine for sure.  He would shout for me to throw a, “hard eight…hard six…hard twelve.”  The best part was I ended up throwing what he needed the majority of the time! Unfortunately, I got nothing from my superior throws – just his business card which had a picture of him in a forest cutting down a tree 30 years ago when he was buff and bronzed! In fact, I’m looking at his card right now – what a great guy that Pete was.  If anyone is interested in Pete, let me know and I’ll give you his number!

The Random Accountants. Middle aged men with no personality? Yep, they loved me.  Ali decided it was too funny watching them interact with me so there was no attempt on his part to save me.  To be fair, I didn’t want to deal with Kathy’s awkward advances towards Ali at this point so I was fine hanging with the accountants.

The MGM Grand Dealers. I would like to give a special shout out to the 1 – 4am casino dealers.  They cracked inappropriate jokes, took our money graciously, and encouraged us to sneak in alcoholic beverages after the bars closed. They were simply fantastic.

Despite our empty pockets by the end of the trip, it was a great time.  Keep the free rooms coming…

Buttah giving a high five

Buttah playing poker

Seven years ago, my friend and I were walking to our local tanning place (how “Jersey Shore” of us) when we noticed a pet store.  It seemed like the dogs in the window were screaming for us… “Come here, come here two NYC girls, come here, roof!”

We felt the gravitation towards the store and couldn’t fight it so we walked in. Immediately, a little smooched up faced Maltese stared at us.  He didn’t bark or jump – he just looked at us with those “puppy dog eyes.” My friend and I looked at each other and thought, oh why not, let’s play with him for a bit.

Yep, as you may have guessed, our “play time” at the store led to a rather expensive purchase, but nevertheless, the best investment ever.

We named him “Buttah.” Similar to “Butter” but with a slight edge.  Say it with an attitude if you will.

Buttah has been in our lives for 7 years now and has brought joy to so many people.  Over the years, I have realized several things about Buttah…

1. I will be a great mom one of these days. Poop and pee will not phase me as I have cleaned up so much of his, nothing grosses me out anymore.

2. I will never get any exercise walking him.  He literally walks half a block and sniffs every 3 seconds.  He’s definitely not a runner.  He just loves to take his sweet time.

3. He is a great girl magnet. I often let my single guy friends walk him to pick up girls – they are always very appreciative.

4. I create awesome themed parties in honor of him.  For instance, for his fifth birthday, I made “Buttah” saying shirts for all guests.  Some of my favorites were “Buttah Believe it,” “Can’t Believe it’s not Buttah,” “Buttah Bing, Buttah Boom,” and “Buttah Fly.”

5. He is a great judge of character.  Whenever I start to date someone, he knows immediately if he’s a good guy or not.  Cuddles and kisses for those he likes; barks and snarls to those he doesn’t.  (There have been more barks than cuddles over the years).

6. He always feels the need to sit on random items – the remote, my scrapbook stuff, my cell phone, poker chips, laptop, etc.

7. He is such a team player…Buttah LOVES to give high fives.

8. He loves to chill and watch TV.  We could watch The Bachelor, Big Brother, American Idol or whatever mindless reality TV show for hours.  I wonder where he gets his love of television from? hmmmm….

So as Buttah stares at me from the couch right now, I want to say thank you to you little guy.  You’ve brought me companionship and given me patience.  Not to mention some great reasons to throw a party.

Delivery.com

I think I am a little behind the times on this, but my friend and I discovered the greatest website in the world.

Let me introduce you to my new favorite lazy man’s site: www.delivery.com

Let’s face it, it’s cold outside.  DC just got hit with a historic snowstorm that paralyzed the region- who wants to go out in this kind of weather?

Well, now you never have to leave your house again to order food or groceries. Delivery.com is easy, quick and I will never pick up the phone again.  Plus, many of you know that I LOVE winning and I LOVE free things.  The more points you earn from your orders, the more points you acquire – thus giving you the chance to get some free stuff.

Anyway – I wanted to share my new finding with you.  Enjoy my fellow lazy friends!

Also, please share any other sites like this!

Famous older man with his younger ladies...

Scenario…
He had vinyl records and 8 tracks growing up and now thinks an iPod sounds like an odd vegetable.  And just forget about trying to explain what the new iPad is to him.  Despite his technology innocence, he’s extremely charming, attractive and knows what he wants in life.  Sounds pretty good, right?  Well, what happens when you both go out and the younger ladies start paying attention to him?  All of sudden his once light blue tapered jeans and turtleneck combo have become a nice dark-wash pant with an out-of-this world button-up specifically made for the 28 and younger crowd.

His favorite Johnny Walker Black drink has now shifted to the Jager bomb…time to worry?

Possible Outcomes…
#1 You go out.  Instead of the extravagant French bistro he took you to on your first date, he takes you to a hole in the wall pub because his new friend is working there who promised to give him a discount.  And by new friend, we mean the guy who just mastered Photoshop in order to make fake IDs for all of his frat brothers. (Desirability: LOW; Reality: MODERATE)

#2 You go out.  Dinner is extravagant and the drinks are flowing.  You are feeling good and your man is looking hot in his new outfit.  You notice the cute waitress that is serving you acting a little flirtier with each round she brings over. You get up to go to the restroom and when you return, the bill has been paid and your man gets a cute little wink from the waitress and a phone number. (Desirability: LOW; Reality: HIGH)

#3 You stay in. You are enjoying a lovely evening of dinner and drinks.  He surprises you with a dozen roses and an iTunes gift card.  He mentions he has already downloaded your favorite song, “Beautiful” by Christina Aguilera.  He says you are the most gorgeous thing in the world to him and he’s so lucky to have you in his life.  (Desirability: HIGH; Reality: MODERATE)

#4 You two stay in.  It’s Sunday.  You know what that means…football.  You hate football.  You don’t know the players or what teams have the best chance of making it to the Superbowl.  Your idea of a “pool” is one that you can swim in, not bet in.  Your man realizes that the last thing you want to be doing is watching the games so he surprises you with a shopping trip.  He says, you are the best thing he’s ever gambled on and he has already won the jackpot.  (Desirability: HIGH; Reality: LOW)

#5 You go on a double date with another couple and you decide it’s “game night.”  Dave & Buster’s is the hot spot of the night – full of basketball, air hockey, wings and beer.  Your man is a hit with your friends and with the games and he wins you a stuffed bear.  His game tactics are perfect and doesn’t have a mean, competitive bone in his body.  He supports you even though you missed 20 out of 21 shots on the basketball game and gives you the last buffalo wing on the platter.  (Desirability: HIGH; Reality: MODERATE)

The Lesson:
“Sometimes an old dog can learn some new tricks”

"Dona & Rabbana"

A friend of mine forwarded a great article to me (thanks @DuxieClothing) about the side effects of fake perfumes.  Living in NYC, we see tons of street vendors selling cheap, knockoff perfume.  95% of the time I walk by them because simply put, I just don’t trust it.  However, there has been that rare time where I decided to take the plunge and buy a bottle.

One afternoon my colleague and I were walking back from lunch when all of a sudden three guys pop out of a van and start yelling, “Hurry, get your perfume, get your perfume. This sells at Macy’s for more than $80, here…it’s only $5.”  I am one that absolutely loves a bargain, so I was like what the heck, I’ll pick up a bottle.  Here’s how my transaction went down…

1. All the bottles that the guys were holding out had the correct name of the perfume and looked exactly like the real deal. I pointed to the Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue box and said I will take one of those.

2. Guy #1 turns around and grabs one from the box behind him and passes it to guy #2 to his left.

3. Guy #2 puts it in a black bag

4. Guy #3 takes my money

5. I get the black bag and Guys #1-3 all encourage me to hurry off

As we walk to the door of my building, all of a sudden we hear police sirens.  Obviously, something pretty sketchy was going on!

I get upstairs to my desk and open the bag.  Instead of seeing a beautiful “Dolce and Gabbana” box like I originally saw outside when the guy was holding it up, I was now holding a fake “Dona & Rabbana” light blue box. I couldn’t help but laugh.  They totally pulled a fast one on me and did a complete swap.  Very clever I have to say.

I never ended up using any of it because honestly I was nervous I would break out into hives or something.  And after reading the article below, I’m glad I did not try it out! Bad reactions from knockoffs range from a runny nose to redness and eczema. Eek.  Article from Harpers Bazaar

How about you…ever try a fake perfume? Did it smell like roses or make you break out into a red blob?

flounder dinner

I am sitting here on my couch and just thinking about what I did this weekend.  Parts of it were very girly, others a bit boyish, and then whole other parts of it could classify me as an 80 year old woman.

Here’s the rundown of my last two days…
1. Made flounder
2. Drank wine 
3. Broke a glass pitcher because apparantly pouring hot water into it was not smart
4. Booked a hotel in Yountvile, CA for my friend’s wedding
5. Started a scrapbook for my friend’s son’s first year
6. Went to the Gym
7. Watched the Jets lose
8. Walked my dog
9. Spent some time on Twitter and Facebook
10. Cleaned my apartment
11. Started to plan a poker night
12. Had brunch with my parents
13. Watched “The Pregnancy Pact” on Lifetime. I really do love a good Lifetime movie.
14. Became very perplexed by the new Walmart “screaming clown” commercial
15. Checked out my horoscope and is now very excited for January 30th.  That apparantly is MY day for good change.

All in all, a very diverse weekend.  It makes me realize that I am pretty unclassifiable. 

How about everyone else? How would you classify your weekends?
Tame with a splash of crazy?
Boyish with a touch of Girl?
Party so hard you don’t even remember?
So lame that you wish you could forget?
Unclassifiable? 

…let us here about it!

Snooki dancing on the boardwalk

All good things must come to an end.  Last night was the finale of The Jersey Shore…it will be a long, cold winter without the outlandish fist-pumping, hot tub going, bar fighting, hook-up crazy shore crew. 

Here are some of my favorite highlights from last night’s episode:

1. Part of me really enjoyed watching Vinny, Pauly D, and Mike head out for some male bonding, which turned out to be pretty tame.  Another part of me was like, huh? When did they all of a sudden become guys who enjoy air hockey and darts? Where was “the situation” there?
2. I was pretty bored when Sammi bailed Ronnie out of jail.  He said he’s not sorry he hit some guy, only that he got caught.  Eh, lame.
3. I was definitely NOT bored when Snooki turned the boardwalk into club Karma…in broad daylight.  Her leopard print mini dress made it even better and watching her break it down in front of the entire shore made me laugh.  She was too lazy to climb the stairs to the bar to chat with guys, but she was definitely not too lazy to dance the afternoon away.
4. My good friend loves Sammi and Ronnie, so I am sorry in advance when I say that their little date should have been cut out of the show.  Although, I did enjoy their cheesy toast, “to their future, post-Shore.” Unfortunately, that is now up in the air thanks to the “unseen footage” on the reunion show. 
5. Pauly D had the most enlightening quote of the night, “”We stayed boys throughout this whole thing. This bond that we shared brings us together and no one can ever take that away from us, ever. Like, we take that with us for life, this bond … That was deep.” Yes Pauly, it was.
6. The hot tub scene with Snooki and The Situation took me completely by surprise.  That kiss was um, revolting? It was nasty to watch, but it was cute to see Mike being genuinely nice to her (before and after the make out).

Thank you MTV for another stellar show.  Keepin’ it classy! I can’t wait for “Snooking for Love!”

The Jersey Shore Cast

Tonight is the most exciting (and sad) night in a long time for many Reality TV show fans.

It is the season finale of the mega MTV hit, The Jersey Shore. 

This past season, people have never seen so much gel, bronzer, GTL (Gym, Tanning, Laundry), blowouts (fights and hair), Italian food, boardwalk, and accents.

When you Google “Jersey Shore Finale” there are over 2.3 million results.  Hmmm, I wonder if MTV is going to make a sequel to the show?  I think it’s a pretty safe bet.

So, tonight, what will I, along with millions of people in Amercia be watching at 10pm? Yes, you guessed it, The Jersey Shore Finale.  I am not ashamed to admit it either. It’s mindless entertainment and it makes me laugh.  Fist pump.

Fun facts

To all my Twitter fans out there – do you know that you can follow the cast? Here are their official account names…

@Sn00ki
@vinnygmtv
@RonnieandSammi
@MTVDJPaulyD
@JENNIWOWW
@ItsTheSituation

Do you know how Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino got his infamous nickname? He and a friend went to a club a few years ago when a woman walked by and complimented his washboard abs. The woman was with her boyfriend, who as you can imagine, did not take well to his girlfriend’s friendly advance.  Sorrentino’s buddy called the moment “a situation” and thus, the greatest male nickname was born. 

Favorite Jersey Shore quotes:
“I’m not trashy unless I drink too much” – Snooki

“I’d have sex with him…he’s a nice guy I mean he’s gotta be clean, right?” – Snooki

“I’m gonna break it down dancing, I love the beats, I got my creepy patent move.” – Ronnie

“We’re beatin’-up-the-beat, that’s what we say when we’re doing our fist pump.  First, we start off by banging the ground, we’re banging it as the beat builds ‘cause that beat’s hittin’ us so we’re fightin’ back, it’s like we beat up that beat.” – PaulyD

“G.T.L. baby. Gym, Tanning, Laundry.” – The Situation

What about you…Will you be fist pumping along with the finale tonight?
What are your favorite moments from the show?

I just had coffee with one of my friends who like many of us, always has a story about a guy.  The latest is definitely blog worthy and I thought it might be true for a lot of people.

You had a great relationship with someone and then sadly, it ended.  No more late night talks, cute dinner dates, or even drunken debacles.

A few months go by, and then all of a sudden you see him at a friend’s St. Paddy’s Day party.  As the shamrocks on your cheeks both glisten, you begin to reconnect over a Guinness.  It’s the luck of the Irish you think, and you begin your romance once again.

April. May. June. July. Yep – then, it’s over yet again.  You still remain friends but romance is certainly not in the cards any longer.

Over the next year, you go on dates with new men, but don’t meet anyone special.  For some reason, your ex is always in the back of your mind and you only remember the good times (because let’s face it, we never remember the bad times).

Then, this past weekend you go snowboarding a few states away.  Midway through your drive to the mountain, you realize you forget to pack your snow gear! Ugh, how annoying.  Now you realize you can buy $400 worth of new stuff, or take the more economical route, and rent some.

You go to the ski shop that you’ve never been to before and rent your wardrobe for the weekend.  After a couple days of snowboarding and drinking, you’re trip is over and it’s now time to return your rented gear.

Standing in line, you hear a familiar laugh.  You turn around – and who is it? Yep, it’s your ex.  It has to be fate you think – bumping into him at a random mountain rental ski shop doesn’t just happen, right?

I usually give a few possible outcomes, but this time I decided to just give one.  Tough Love I’m going to call this one.

It’s not fate, you’re just bored. You haven’t had any luck recently with men and running into your ex may seem like fate, but there is a reason why he’s your “ex.”  If it didn’t work the first two times, I can pretty much guarantee it’s not going to work again.

Don’t fall into the “it’s fate” trap.  Stop thinking about “what might happen,” and instead get a hobby and meet someone new!

Thoughts?

Scenario…
Your relationship starts out great. Your new man is charming in all those bad boy ways that all of us love.  You like his confidence, street smarts, sense of humor and he makes you feel special when you are together.  However, as you begin to get closer, you step into some awkward territory…

Step 1:  You are on your way back from a long day of work when you get a text, asking you to pick up some essential toiletries at CVS for him. You say “of course, no problem babe,” and bring him his razors, shaving cream, gummy bears, and deodorant.  He works nights, and needed to get ready.  He must have had an exhausting day of playing videogames that he didn’t have a minute to get the things himself.

Step 2:  His credit isn’t so good.  Yours is impeccable.  His pay-as-you-go cell phone isn’t doing the job anymore so he asks if you could get him a phone under your name.  He swears he will pay you monthly and would never dream of messing up your credit.  You agree it is important to keep in contact with each other frequently and could never picture him doing you wrong. 

There have been some roadblocks in your amazing love race thus far. His “can you pick up a few things” texts have become fairly frequent and he has missed some of his monthly mobile payments because he hasn’t “cashed his paycheck” yet.  Plus, he couldn’t stop talking about getting that meaningful eagle tattoo and how could you be the one to crush his dreams?  Despite some of the hazardous signs, you decide to trudge along…

Step 3:  His landlord kicked him out.  He asks if you would mind if he crashed at your place for a little bit, until he finds a new one.  He promises that he will help out with the rent and keep your little dog company during the day.  Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to you.  Three months pass and his stuff is all over your apartment, your wallet is emptier and your laundry bag seems to get fuller faster. 

Step 4:  The requests for loans get larger and the cell phone, electric and cable bills grow…What’s a generous girl to do?

Possible Outcomes…
#1 You continue to help him out.  He just needs to get back on his feet and when he does he will pay you back.  Who knows, maybe he will hit it big with his music career and make a really successful album. Of course he’ll dedicate it to you since you are his rock.  (Desirability: HIGH; Reality: LOW)

 #2 You kick him out and show him who’s boss.  Enough is enough.  You work hard and all he does is lay around your apartment all day.  Sure he has unlocked a lot of great prizes on your PS3, but is it worth it?  It finally hits you and you realize this is so not worth all this pain to your heart, and your wallet.  (Desirability: HIGH; Reality: MODERATE)

#3 It’s the little things that matter, right?  He starts to pay you back by cooking you romantic dinners, doing the dishes and walking the dog.  He even changes the battery on your smoke detector and the light bulbs that are too high too reach.  It’s like having your own personal handyman around.  It’s not so bad. (Desirability: MODERATE; Reality: MODERATE)

 #4 You give him an ultimatum.  He either pays you back or it’s over.  He says fine, and leaves you…with a $300 phone bill.  Next day, you see him arm and arm with some other gullible girl.  (Desirability: LOW; Reality: HIGH)

 #5 You continue to help him out.  The vicious cycle continues and you are stuck with some money grubbing bum who can’t even figure out how to program the speed dial on his cell phone that you are paying for.  As the bills continue to pile in, you happen to notice many unfamiliar phone numbers.  Got to love a guy who cheats on you on your tab.  (Desirability: LOW; Reality: HIGH)

 The Lesson…
“Money comes and goes…so should the losers who mooch off of you”